"Elluminate is an affordable alternative for nonprofits. We pinch our pennies, so cost savings is important." Sue Evans, Executive Director, Northwest Kansas Regional Prevention Center
The Northwest Kansas Regional Prevention Center (RPC) serves as a consulting agent in helping area communities create safe, healthy and drug-free environments with a wide variety of services that include:
- Informational programs about risk-focused prevention
- How community members can become involved
- Community risk and resource assessments
- FREE brochures and resource lending library
- Assistance mobilizing community coalitions
Elluminate makes it easy
According to Executive Director Sue Evans, the organization is located in a decidedly rural area. "We do lots of work with community coalitions providing information, training, and other services, so we have to travel a lot," she explains. "It’s really important for me in these economic times that we find a solution that would help us do training and meetings in a more efficient way. Elluminate vClass™ makes it easy to connect and collaborate."
"We’ve found that using Elluminate is more efficient than meeting face to face," Evans continues. "You don’t get side tracked as easily and can just get the business done. I’m so glad we found this tool. It enables us to meet and collaborate with those with whom we normally wouldn’t. Elluminate vClass is so much better than GoToMeeting™ or Glance. You don’t need a phone line, and there are many more features."
RPC Community Prevention Consultant Tricia Korthanke agrees. "County coalition meetings can mean hours of travel," she says." We’ve had an amazing response from participants after only two meetings using Elluminate," she explains. "There was an initial hesitation, but the groups now prefer meeting online. We can do the exact same things as in a face-to-face meeting, and because it’s more convenient, we’ve been able to increase attendance. Plus, we can record meetings for those who couldn’t attend."
Communicate, collaborate, and educate for less
Recently, the RPC compared the cost of one online training session to what it would cost for the same participants to have attended face to face. The cost of a half-day workshop would have been $11,176, including mileage cost, per diem expenses, accommodations, facilities, travel time, and increased trainer costs, compared to Elluminate vClass at $1,200, representing the cost of the trainer.
Youth to youth across the miles
For Brock Fairbrother, another RPC community prevention consultant, Elluminate provided an unforeseen opportunity. "Recently, I met a group of students from Dover Youth to Youth, a New Hampshire-based drug-prevention program, who travel all over the country presenting to other students, says Fairbrother. "Without funding to cover costs of several thousand dollars, I knew the chance of bringing them here was slim to none."
"Using Elluminate, I was able to connect the Dover youth group with students throughout Kansas, Fairbrother adds. "The session was very interactive with presentations, YouTube videos, and PSAs (public service announcements). The kids glued to their computers chatting and asking questions. We are continuing our relationship with Dover and exploring a nationwide youth coalition called Project Fuel, which hasn’t been done before because the tools weren’t there. We call it anti-geographical collaboration. The possibilities are endless!"
LaDonna Coy, a prevention and virtual learning consultant, works with the RPC. Her Technology in Prevention blog is a great place to learn more about how to put technology to work for prevention and social change. “Our online platforms have become even better by pushing beyond primarily presentation to a true interactive environment. Elluminate is a stellar example,” she says.
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